The present invention relates to an air-conditioning device for a motor vehicle in which the air-conditioning device has its longest dimension in a direction transverse to the vehicle and to a motor vehicle embodying the improved air-conditioning device.
DE 198 58 727 discloses an air-conditioning system of this general type which has a shape that is stretched in the transverse direction of the vehicle in order to make better use of the installation space in the cockpit or dashboard region of a motor vehicle. In such an air-conditioning system, which has its greatest dimension in the transverse direction of the vehicle, the heat exchangers also have a construction that is stretched in the transverse direction of the vehicle. With such a construction, there is a problem of guiding the air fed by a blower in such a way that the heat exchangers are subjected to a uniform air flow over their entire length, despite the fact that they have a large dimension in the transverse direction of the vehicle. For this reason, the known air-conditioning system has a blower with a multiplicity of fan wheels that are arranged coaxially in the transverse direction of the vehicle, one next to the other along the extent of the air-conditioning system in the transverse direction of the vehicle. Such a blower is, on the one hand, not cost-effective and, on the other hand, requires a corresponding installation space, so that, although the known air-conditioning system can be of relatively narrow design in the vertical direction of the vehicle, it has a relatively large dimension in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
One principal object of the present invention is to avoid the above-mentioned disadvantages and to provide an improved air-conditioning device that makes optimum use of the installation space in the passenger compartment/dashboard region and is as cost-effective as possible.
A further object of the invention is to provide a motor vehicle embodying the improved air-conditioning device according to the invention.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there has been provided an air-conditioning device for a motor vehicle, comprising: a housing; a blower arranged at one lateral end of the air-conditioning housing for feeding air through the housing; a cooling heat exchanger, a heating heat exchanger, and airflow control elements arranged in the housing, wherein the air-conditioning device and the heat exchangers have their greatest dimension in the transverse direction (y direction) of the vehicle; and an air filter having approximately the same dimension in the transverse direction of the vehicle as the cooling heat exchanger arranged between the blower and cooling heat exchanger.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a motor vehicle, comprising a passenger compartment defined by a dashboard and an air-conditioning device mounted in the dashboard, wherein the air-conditioning device comprises an air-conditioning device as defined above.
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of preferred embodiments that follows, when considered together with the accompanying figures of drawing.